TPS enrollment stabilizing, superintendent reports

On Monday, March 23, Tecumseh Public Schools (TPS) Supt. Kelly Coffin presented the board of education with the State of The District report, highlighting student enrollment, revenue streams and allocations and district test scores, amongst other highlights.“I think that it’s really important to take time and really reflect on where we’ve been, but also look at where we’re going,” Coffin said. “We are committed to lifelong learning at the highest level.”Currently, according to Coffin, February’s unaudited student enrollment count in TPS stands at 2,949 students with 966 students at Tecumseh High School (THS), 857 enrolled at Tecumseh Middle School, 245 at Herrick Park Elementary, 321 attending Sutton Elementary, 298 at Acres Elementary and 243 at Patterson Elementary. Overall, enrollment is still down from the 2008-2009 school year count of 3,187 students. Coffin said that the February unaudited count is a very good sign enrollment is stabilizing.One area Coffin said the district is watching and actively working on involves school of choice students. While the district did gain 346 students from outside the district or 2014-2015, a majority from Adrian (209 students), TPS lost 467. Students who leave the district are mostly attending Britton Deerfield (195 students) and Clinton (167 students) creating a net loss of 121 students in the district due to school of choice. “You can see we still have some work to do in this area,” Coffin added. While there is a net loss of students due to school of choice, this school year saw the highest number of students received, 340 students, since the 2011-2012 school year. Students who receive free or reduced lunch at TPS declined for the 2014-2015 school year, coming in at just below 30 percent of district students. “Hopefully, that’s a good sign the economy is turning around for our families,” Coffin said. In terms of revenue, the majority of the district’s income comes from state funding, amounting to approximately $20.7 million. Local revenue sources contribute $2.7 million, while the Lenawee Intermediate School District accounts for $1.3 million. Federal revenue amounts to approximately $336,000. Projected expenditures for the district for the 2014-2015 year has $15.7 million going towards instructional costs. “The majority of our expenses go towards educating our students, which is exactly what you would expect us to do as a district,” said Coffin. Operations and maintenance costs amount to $2.4 million. School administration will cost $1.2 million while transportation is estimated to cost $1.1 million. Coffin provided data for the last year of MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) testing, which was for fall 2013. This 2014-2015 school year, students are no longer taking the MEAP test, but will be instead taking the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, or M-STEP, this spring. “When we are stacked up against the county and the state,” said Coffin regarding fall 2013 MEAP data, “we do pretty well.” In 2013, TPS fourth graders scored first in the county in reading, writing and math, while district ninth graders placed first in the county for social studies. Nine of the previous 11 TPS classes who took the MEAP improved compared to only five classes at the state and county level. Coffin said that in regards to ACT (American College Test) scores, TPS scores above the county and the state in all subject areas. The graduation rate at THS is 96.5 percent, with a 1.5-percent dropout rate. Coffin added that one new statistic the district is tracking is enrollment in post-secondary programs, whether those are two-, four-year, or trade school programs. She added that the data is from the National Student Clearinghouse, which provides participating institutions support for their compliance, administration, student access, accountability and analytical needs, and that more trade schools are joining the organization every year to have their students counted. After graduating THS, 69 percent of graduates enroll in a post-secondary program after the first year of high school. That number jumps to 78 percent two years following high school graduation. Coffin’s report also noted that 88 percent of students return to college after their freshman year. Coffin said at the state level, persistence to return to college after a student’s freshman year is around 67 percent. The top institutions THS graduates attend include University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Western, Central and Eastern Michigan Universities, University of Toledo, Siena Heights University, Grand Valley State University, Jackson College and Washtenaw Community College. “The majority of our students end up going to Washtenaw Community College or Jackson College,” Coffin noted. TPS is also invested in pre-kindergarten education opportunities for students and the community.“It’s very easy to promote this program [Tecumseh Preschool] because of the way were are situated [in Sutton Elementary School], the support that we get and the commitment my staff has made to making this a quality program,” said Susan Dieter, TPS Preschool Director. “It’s all going in a positive direction. I think we’ve made big strides in bringing this program together.” Dieter added that next year the preschool is seeking to achieve a five-star rating from the State of Michigan, which helps parents choose quality preschool programs. The five-star rating would make TPS’ preschool the best credentialed centered in the county, according to Dieter. After the school receives five-star accreditation, she added the school will seek national accreditation. “I can’t tell you how much parents are wowed by our preschool program,” Dieter said. TPS currently has a four-star rating. One of Coffin’s goals when she was hired was to create and implement a strategic planning process. She reported Monday that over 150 members participate in the process, spread out over 10 goal areas the district is working to achieve. The district’s strategic plan is a three-to-five-year planning process TPS uses to set and achieve district goals. Some achievements the school has made with the Strategic Plan includes the school’s website redesign, hiring J. Judson Lohman TPS’ public relations, communications and marketing coordinator, and strengthened community outreach. One unique achievement Coffin noted was a “Think Tank.” “There’s a group of us that get together once a month and just think ‘what if,’ and we talk about what education can look like in the next five to ten years,” said Coffin. “I think that is something that is very unique to educational systems.”